Perimenopause library

Symptoms

Articles in this section

• Hot flashes and night sweats last longer than older advice often said

  In SWAN, frequent vasomotor symptoms lasted a median 7.4 years. Duration varies by when they start and by race and ethnicity. Four trajectory patterns showed up across more than a decade of follow-up.

• Mood during the transition: status matters more than one hormone draw

  SWAN found two-to-four times the odds of a major depressive episode in peri- or early postmenopause versus premenopause. Prior depression is the strongest predictor. New-onset risk is less consistent.

• Cycle changes in the 40s: what tracking can show

  STRAW+10 uses persistent cycle-length change, then longer gaps, as research stages. Tracking those dates is useful. A log still cannot stage you or explain every bleed.

• Brain fog in the transition — what studies can and cannot say

  People often report foggy thinking in midlife. The strongest cohort evidence in this library is about depressive episodes and mood, not a validated “brain fog” test. Describe the pattern. Do not self-diagnose cognitive decline.

• Sleep in perimenopause

  Night sweats can last years in SWAN. Sleep also moves with mood, stress, and other conditions. Track what breaks the night. Do not let an app name the disorder.